Forming method and apparatus

ABSTRACT

Plural form wall panels are horizontally successively joined together by vertical slide joint means. Alternate panels are disconnected from hardened concrete, are raised vertically by hydraulic rams carried by the intermediate panels until portions of such alternate panels are above the hardened concrete, and are resecured to the concrete at the higher level. The intermediate panels are thereafter disconnected, pulled upwardly to the new level by the rams, and are resecured to the concrete at the higher level in horizontal alignment with the alternate panels.

I United States Patent 1 1 3,591 ,123

[72] Inventor Andrew D. Edwards 3,071,837 1/1963 Ceretti 249/10 Box 563, Mossyrock. Wash. 98564 3,222,750 12/1965 Kimball 25/131 [21] Appl. No. 751.192 3,437,305 4/1969 Cury 249/10 g Primary Examiner-Othell M. Simpson Assistant Examiner-David R. Melton Attorney-Graybeal, Cole & Barnard [54] FORMING METHOD AND APPARATUS 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S .Cl 249/10,

249/20, 254/106 ABSTRACT: Plural form wall panels are horizontally succes- [5 Int. siyely joined together vertical slide joint mean Alternate 1366f 1/00 panels are disconnected from hardened concrete, are raised 0 254/105- verti all by h draulic rams carried by [he intermediate panels 89; 25/131? 193; until portions of such alternate panels are above the hardened 264/3334 concrete, and are resecured to the concrete at the higher Rem-mes Cited level. The intermediate panels are thereafter disconnected, pulled upwardly to the new level by the rams, and are UNITED STATES PATENTS resecured to the concrete at the higher level in horizontal 2,845,685 8/1958 Lovgren 249/192 are:

alignment with the alternate panels.

PATENTEUJUL BIBYI 3591 123 PATENTED JUL 6 an SHEET 2 OF 2 w W z M vwwwwwvfwl/ 9 0900 Q! FaFIKELIP llllll I I I H W I r BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a new technique of raising a form wall which is adapted to form a concrete structure in a succession of lifts or pours, each on top of the last, and to specific form wall structure.

2. Description of the Prior Art It is common practice to pour large concrete walls, such as around dams and canal locks, for example, in a plurality of lifts. Firstly, the lowest section is poured. An interval of time is allowed for the setting of the concrete and then the form walls are moved upwardly and a second lift is poured on top of the first lift. This procedure is repeated over and over again until the concrete structure is completed. The customary method of raising the vertical form walls involves the steps of grabbing ahold of a large section of the form wall by means of an overhead lifting device, then disconnecting the entire section from the hardened concrete, then operating the lifting device to raise the section upwardly to the new level, and then resecuring the wall section to the concrete at the higher level. This technique is quite hazardous to the men who must work below the quite large wall section while either detaching or securing it to the concrete. The operator of the overhead lifting means is remote from such workmen and due to its size and weight the wall section tends to want to swing and/or twist while it is being moved. Both of these factors affect the amount of control the operator can have over wall section movement. Regardless of the amount of care employed it is quite easy for the wall section to either strike and injure a workmen standing in a limited space on a scaffold or the like, or to force him off the scaffold. Also, there have been instances where such wall sections have been dropped, resulting in the deaths of many workmen in its path, and considerable damage to machinery and/or building structures below.

Brynoldt U.S. Pat. No. 2,096,l59 discloses'a form wall assembly for constructing large concrete structures in a plurality of vertical lifts which includes a truss extending across the concrete structure, such truss supporting large wall sections on each side of the concrete structure. This patent is not addressed to the problem of raising the form wall sections.

Gattnar et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,085,787 discloses forming apparatus comprising relatively large form wall sections which are supported on, and travel vertically upwardly along, steel guide poles which are embedded in the concrete wall itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention the problem of handling the form wall sections in a safe manner is solved by dividing the form wall sections horizontally into a plurality of panels. Adjacent panels are coupled together by vertical slide joint means. Following the hardening of a pour, the alternate panels are disconnected from the hardened concrete, are raised vertically until the greater portions thereof project above the hardened concrete, and are resecured to the concrete at the higher level. Thereafter, the intermediate panels are discon-. nected from the concrete, are moved upwardly to the higher level and back into horizontal alignment with the alternate panels and are resecured to the concrete.

Preferably the panels are moved by hydraulic thrust rams which are interconnected between adjacent panels. In preferred form the cylinder portions of a pair of hydraulic thrust rams are connected to side edge portions of the intermediate panels, with the pistons of such rams directed upwardly. The upper or free ends of the pistons are connected to brackets extending outwardly from upper corner portions of the alternate panels. With the alternate panels disconnected and the intermediate panels secured to the concrete, hydraulic fluid delivered to the cylinders below the pistons force both the pistons and the alternate panels connected thereto upwardly. When the raised alternate panels are secured to the concrete and the intermediate panels are disconnected, a reverse flow of the fluid results in.a retraction of the pistons and the intermediate panels being pulled upwardly. Owing to this manner of operation the form wall of this invention can accurately be termed a climbing form wall."

Further aspects of the invention reside in more specific features of the illustrated embodiments which are hereinafter described and later claimed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the illustrations like letters and numerals refer to like parts, and:

FIG. I is a'diagrammatic view of a fragmented portion of a form wall typifying the invention, with the panels which make up the form wall shown in horizontal alignment and each secured to a hardened portion of the concrete wall ready to support a new pour;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but of the assembly shortly after a new pour, and showing the alternate panels moved up and secured to the hardened new pour and the intermediate panels ready to themselves be moved up into alignment with the alternate panels;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a typical embodiment of the form wall taken through one of the panels and the concrete wall;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of said form wall, said portion comprising three full panels and fragmented portions of two additional panels, all of which panels are of like construction except for hydraulic ram placement;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view taken in the region of one of the slide joints;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary isometric view of a portion of the form wall, with some parts thereof broken away and other parts thereof in spaced relationship to their assembled positions, for clarity of illustration; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view, with some parts in section, taken near the upper end of one of the brace beams.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 diagrammatically illustrate both the essential method steps and the essential structure of the invention. FIG. 1 shows a hardened portion CW of the concrete wall and a fragmented showing of the form wall FW secured to the hardened portion CW and in position to support a new pour of concrete up to a new level 12. The panels 10, 10' are interconnected by slide joint means 14. Herein the term slide joint means means a joining or'connecting structure which permits substantially relative movement between the two parts being connected only lengthwise of the panels. The lower portions of the panels l0, l0 overlap the upper portion of the hardened wall CW and are secured thereto by bolts 16, or the like. The greater portion of each panel 10, 10' projects upwardly above the upper level 18 of the hardened concrete CW a distance slightly higher than the height of the next pour.

Following hardening of the new pour CW the alternate panels I0 are disconnected from the hardened concrete CW and are moved upwardly to a higher position and in such higher position are connected to the now hardened concrete CW. Thereafter the intermediate panels 10' are likewise disconnected and moved up (FIG. 2) into positions between the panels 10, to complete the form wall at the higher level. In this manner no panel l0, 10 is ever completely disconnected from the panels 10, 10' which flank it, and during all movement the entire wall is always secured to concrete. Consequently, there is no chance of the panels 10, 10 falling and killing or injuring workmen, or damaging property below. In a sense, the form wall climbs up the concrete wall it is helping to form.

Although not illustrated it is to be understood that the form wall is accompanied by a like or similar form wall spaced from it to establish the opposite side of the concrete wall.

In the preferred embodiment each panel 10, comprises a rectangular piece of sheet metal 20 which presents a .clean surface towards the concrete. The sheet metal is backed by vertical edge beams 22, 24, and-a plurality of interconnecting horizontal beams, some of which are designated 26 in the drawing. By way of typicaland therefore nonlimitive example, the sheet metal may be 3/l6-inch plate material, and the horizontal beams 26 may be lengths of 2-inch by 4-inch channel stock. One vertical edge beam 22 is formed to include a T- channel, and the other vertical edge beam has a T shape in cross section and is sized to be rather snugly but slidably received in the T-channel 28. A vertical reinforcement beam 30, hereinafter referred to as a strongback," backs up each panel 10, 10' and is secured to the horizontal beams 26 of the panel, generally at the midportion of each panellll, 10. The strongbacks 30 are shown to be constructed from a pair of channel beams 32 place web-toweb, but spaced apart, and interconnected at their outer flanges by means of straps of plate material 34, 36. As will be evident, the strongbacks 30 give the panels 10, 10' a considerable amount of added stiffness.

A second and larger vertical beam 38, hereinafter termed as a cantilever, is secured to each panel 10, 10' generally rearwardly of the strongback 30. Each cantilever 38 is a composite beam formed from a pair of spaced-apart, outwardly opening side'channels 40, 42 which are interconnected by horizontally disposed spacer straps 44, 46. The side channels 40, 42 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the width dimension of the strongbacks 30. The cantilevers 38 are secured to the concrete by means of she bolts 48 which extend through cross straps 46 at the midportions of the cantilevers 38. An adjustable support shoe 50 is provided at the lower end of each cantilever 38. The support shoes each include a flat pad 52 at its forward end which directly contacts the concrete. The shoes 50 may be in the form of box beams through which a plurality of transverse passageways 54 have been formed, so such passageways 54 can be selectively used to receive a bolttype fastener 56 which adjustably secures the member 50 to a pair of sideplates 58 provided at the lower ends of the channels 40, 42.

The cantilevers 38 are connected to the panels 10, 10' at two locations. The lower location is near the midportion of the cantilever 38, and the connection is in the nature of a horizontal pin 60 which extends through both the web portions of the strongback channels 32, and the web portions of the strongback channels 32, and the web portions of the cantilever channels 40, 42. The pin 60 forms a pivotal connection, so that the cantilever 38 may be moved relatively forwardly towards or rearwardly from the associated strongback 30 at its upper end. The second connection of the cantilever 38 to its panel 10 or 10' is at the upper end of the cantilever 38. As best shown by FIG. 7, a tapped block 62 in the nature of a large nut is firmly secured to the upper end portion of the cantilever 38, immediately forwardly of the spacer strap 44. The block 62 receives the threaded portion of an adjustment bolt 64 having a head 66 on the end thereof remote the panel 10 or 10. The opposite end of the bolt 64 may include a round swivel portion 68 which extends through and loosely fits within a transverse opening formed in a transverse pivot pin 70, extending between the side channels 32 of the strongback 30. A button 62 is formed on the bolt 64 immediately rearwardly of the pin 70. A washer 74 is slipped over the portion of bolt 64 which extends forwardly of the pin 70, and a cotter key 76, or the like extends through the forwardmost end portion of the bolt 64 and holds the bolt 64 in place. As will be evident, when the adjustment bolt 64 is turned by a wrench such bolt 64 is free to turn in the opening provided for it in pin 70, and as it turns the nut block 62 and the upper end of the cantilever 38 are moved relatively towards or away from the panel 10 or 10, depending upon the direction the bolt 64 is turned.

In operation, the cantilever 38 is connected by means of the she bolt 48 to the concrete, and the bracing shoe 50 is properly adjusted. Thereafter, the adjustment bolt 64 is rotated for the purpose of establishing the correct attitude of the panel 10 or 10. The pin 70 is free to turn about the horizontal axis, so that the lean of the adjustment bolt 64 can change as required.

Another principal aspect of the invention involves a particular manner of moving the panels 10, 10'. As best shown by FIG. 6, the cylinder portions 78 of a pair of side-placed hydraulic rams are each connected top and bottom to the intermediate panels 10'. By way of typical and therefore nonlimitive example, corner brackets 80, 82 may be secured to each corner of the panel 10' on the rearward side thereof, such brackets to include vertical side portions to which the end portions 84, 86 of the cylinders 79 can be connected. Corner brackets 88 are attached to the upper corners of each alternate panel 10, and the upper ends of the piston portions 90 of the thrust rams are pivotally connected to the brackets 90, e.g. inthe manner illustrated.

In operation, following the hardening of a pour, all direct connections to the concrete of the alternate panels 10 and their cantilevers 38 are released. If necessary the panels 10 are wedged (cg. by offcentrics) or are in some other manner slightly separated from the concrete so that any seal between the two is broken. Thereafter, fluid pressure is supplied to the lower ends of the cylinders 78 and return lines from the upper ends of such cylinders 88 are opened. in this fashion the alternate panels 10 and their cantilevers 38 are moved upwardly until the location for each she bolt 48 is adjacent the she bolt fitting in the concrete which was previously occupied by an upper she bolt 92 (FIGS. 3 and 6). The she bolts 48 are then reinstalled at such upper positions for the purpose of securing the now raised panels 10 once again to the concrete, At all times during their movement the panels 10, and the cantilevers 38 connected thereto, remained anchored to the concrete by means of their connection to the still secured panels l0,by means of the slide joints 22, 24 and the thrust rams 78, 90.

Following securement of the alternate panels 10 to the concrete at the higher level, the she bolts 48, 92 for the intermediate panels are disconnected, and if necessary such panels are pried loose from the concrete. The direction of fluid flow to the thrust rams 62 is reversed so that such rams will then operate to pull the intermediate panels 10' upwardly into a new position of alignment with the now anchored alternate panels 10. Thereafter, the she bolts 48 for the intermediate panels are attached at the prior locations for the she bolts 92. At this time the major portions of all panels l0, 10' project upwardly beyond the upper surface of the last pour.

One of the further steps necessary before making the next pour is the installation of the she bolts 92 and the placement of new pigtail anchors 94 thereon, so that when the new pour is made the new anchors 94 will be in a position to hardenand be firmly anchored in the new pour.

Preferably, each panel 10, 10' carries a depending section 96 of a finishing scaffold, an upper and intermediate caged scaffolds 98, 100 for use by personnel when manipulating the she bolts 48, 92 and the adjustment bolt 64.

The upper scaffold 98 is shown to comprise a deck 102 and a three-sided tubular bar fence 104 extending upwardly from the deck 102. Scaffold 98 is secured to upper side portions 106, 108 of the cantilever 38 by means of a pair of lower support beams 110, 112. The inner ends of the beams 110, 112 are spaced apart an amount equal to the width dimension of the cantilever 38 in the region of the mounting plates 106, 108, and then the diverge apart as they extend outwardly towards the outer corners of the scaffold 98. The forward ends of the tubular bars forming the fence 104 are not connected to the panel 10, 10', because the panel l0, 10 must be free to move relative to the upper end portion of the cantilever 38.

The intermediate scaffold 100 may be similar in construction to scaffold 98, but is bolted to a lower set of sideplates 114, 116 on the cantilever 38.

The section 98 of the finishers scaffold is shown to be supported at the front by a pair of arms 118 which depend downwardlyfrom the bottom sideplates 58 on the cantilever 38. Arms 118 are portions of U-shaped members, each also including a horizontal support beam 120 and a rearwardly positioned vertical post 122. A deck 124 extends across and is secured to the support means 120. A horizontal guardrail may during the periods of panel alignmentthey together form a substantially continuous scaffold immediately below the panels l0,

One particular advantage of making the scaffolds 98, 100 of cage form, and of depending only a section of the finishing scaffold from each panel 10, 10', is that it makes it possible to establish a determinable finite maximum loading which must be carried by each she bolt. The scaffolds 96, 98, 100 can be made from relatively lightweight structural materials so they of themselves add little weight to the panel unit of which they are a part.

The foregoing description is for the purpose of providing an understanding of the invention. The following claims serve to measure the scope and limits of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels,

and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, each slide joint means allowing free vertical movement of an unsecured panel relative to a secured neighboring panel.

2. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, and vertically oriented thrust means interconnected between adjacent panels for causing the movement of the panels.

3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said thrust means comprises at least one cylinder connected to each intermediate panel, and a piston in said cylinder including an upwardly extending piston rod, with a first fluid chamber being formed below the piston, a second fluid chamber being formed above the piston, and means for attaching the upper end of the piston rod to an upper portion of an adjacent'alternate panel.

4. The combination of claim 3, wherein each intermediate v panel is provided with a pair, of cylinders, one at each side thereof, and the means for connecting the upper end of the piston rods to the adjacent alternate panels comprises corner brackets at the upper corners of the alternate panels.

5. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being fonned, independently of the other panels, and a vertical beam disposed rearwardly of each panel and including a lower portion depending below the panel, a support means at the lower end of said beam in force-transferring relation to hardened concrete below the panel, pivot means connecting a midportion of the beam to said panel, and adjustable connector means interconnecting between the beam and the panel substantially at the upper end of said beam, for moving the panel toward, or away 'fromthe upper panels and at least one work platform secured to at least some of said panels, on the side, hereof directed away from the concrete.

7. ln a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being fonned, independently of the other panels, said fastener means comprising bolts securable to anchors set into the concrete, and including at least one bolt insertablc through a lower portion of each panel.

8. ln a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, and means for raising certain of said panels, following removal of the fastener means for directly securing them to the concrete, while at least some of the other panels are still fastened to the concrete.

9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said fastener means comprise bolts securablc to anchors set into the concrete, and include at least one bolt insertable through a lower portion of each panel. 

1. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, each slide joint means allowing free vertical movement of an unsecured panel relative to a secured neighboring panel.
 2. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure beinG formed, independently of the other panels, and vertically oriented thrust means interconnected between adjacent panels for causing the movement of the panels.
 3. The combination of claim 2, wherein said thrust means comprises at least one cylinder connected to each intermediate panel, and a piston in said cylinder including an upwardly extending piston rod, with a first fluid chamber being formed below the piston, a second fluid chamber being formed above the piston, and means for attaching the upper end of the piston rod to an upper portion of an adjacent alternate panel.
 4. The combination of claim 3, wherein each intermediate panel is provided with a pair of cylinders, one at each side thereof, and the means for connecting the upper end of the piston rods to the adjacent alternate panels comprises corner brackets at the upper corners of the alternate panels.
 5. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, and a vertical beam disposed rearwardly of each panel and including a lower portion depending below the panel, a support means at the lower end of said beam in force-transferring relation to hardened concrete below the panel, pivot means connecting a midportion of the beam to said panel, and adjustable connector means interconnecting between the beam and the panel substantially at the upper end of said beam, for moving the panel toward, or away from the upper end of the beam.
 6. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, and at least one work platform secured to at least some of said panels, on the side thereof directed away from the concrete.
 7. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, said fastener means comprising bolts securable to anchors set into the concrete, and including at least one bolt insertable through a lower portion of each panel.
 8. In a form wall, a plurality of panels, vertical slide joint means horizontally successively interconnecting said panels, and fastener means for directly securing each panel to the concrete structure being formed, independently of the other panels, and means for raising certain of said panels, following removal of the fastener means for directly securing them to the concrete, while at least some of the other panels are still fastened to the concrete.
 9. The combination of claim 8, wherein said fastener means comprise bolts securable to anchors set into the concrete, and include at least one bolt insertable through a lower portion of each panel. 